Production Asset State Machines for Mixed-Equipment Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing management systems for large infrastructure projects lack the ability to efficiently monitor and optimize the productivity of production assets from different manufacturers and ages, without requiring extensive upgrades, and are not agnostic to equipment type and brand.
Innovation Solution
A method for handling state machines of production assets by associating and overriding operating states between assets with varying maturity levels, allowing lower maturity assets to inherit operating state data from higher maturity assets within the same production process, and maintaining updated state machines through wireless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If production assets from different manufacturers and ages are monitored using existing management systems, then equipment diversity is supported, but the ability to efficiently monitor and optimize productivity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal state machine framework that can handle multiple production asset types from different manufacturers and ages. The system defines standardized state categories (operational, non-operational, maintenance) that apply universally across all assets, enabling consistent monitoring and optimization regardless of equipment diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces maturity levels as a parameter to differentiate asset capabilities. By assigning maturity levels to production assets based on their monitoring and reporting capabilities, the system can adapt its monitoring and optimization strategies to match the actual capabilities of each asset, thereby improving overall productivity monitoring efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If management systems are designed to be agnostic to equipment type and brand, then equipment compatibility is improved, but the systems require extensive production asset upgrades to function effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-defines standardized state machines and state categories that can be applied to any production asset. This preliminary structuring allows the system to be equipment-agnostic from the start, requiring no extensive upgrades to existing assets. The standardized framework is prepared in advance and can be directly applied to diverse equipment types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the monitoring system into independent state machines for different production processes (e.g., excavation, transport, deposit). Each state machine can be independently configured and applied to relevant assets, allowing gradual deployment without requiring system-wide upgrades. This modular approach reduces deployment complexity while maintaining equipment compatibility.
3Measurement precision
If state machines are customized for each production asset to capture detailed operating states, then monitoring precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by defining specific state categories tailored to each production process type. For example, excavation equipment has states related to digging operations, while transport equipment has states related to movement and loading. This localized state definition maintains monitoring precision for each asset type while avoiding the need for universally complex state machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal state machine framework with standardized state categories that can be applied across all production assets. This universal approach reduces system complexity by eliminating the need for completely custom state machines for each asset, while still maintaining precision through process-specific state definitions within the universal framework.
4Loss of information
If lower maturity assets are made to report comprehensive operating state data, then data completeness is improved, but the assets require extensive upgrades to achieve higher maturity levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital twins (virtual copies) of production assets to store and process comprehensive operating state data. Instead of requiring physical upgrades to lower maturity assets, the system creates digital representations that can hold and process complete state information. This allows data completeness to be achieved through software/virtual modeling rather than hardware upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a central server or cloud platform as an intermediary that collects, stores, and processes operating state data from assets of all maturity levels. Lower maturity assets can report limited data to this intermediary, which then complements the information and maintains comprehensive state machines centrally, eliminating the need for assets themselves to be upgraded for data completeness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer implemented method for handling respective state machines of a plurality of production assets (11, 12, 13) is provided. Each state machine implements a plurality of operating states, in a production process. The method comprising determining a respective production process for the plurality of production assets (11, 12, 13) by monitoring the plurality of production assets (11, 12, 13), and associating a respective state machine to the plurality of production assets (11, 12, 13) based on the determined respective production process. The method further comprises detecting that at least two of the plurality of production assets (11, 12, 13) shares the same production process. The method further comprises performing an override, based on a respective maturity level of the at least two production assets (11, 12), to override an operating state of a first production assets (11) of the at least two production assets (11, 12) with an operating state of a second production asset (12), which second production asset (12) is associated with a higher maturity level than the first production asset (11).